Jul. 7, 2013

Civil War historian David Mowery. / The Enquirer/Glenn Hartong.

Written by

COMMEMORATING THE RAID

SaturdayMorgan’s Raid 5-mile Walk/Race in Colerain

Run or walk this track through Heritage Park, following part of John Hunt Morgan’s route through Hamilton County. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m., at 11405 East Miami River Road, with the race beginning at 8:30 a.m. The cost is $15 before the day of the race or $20 on the morning of the race. For more information, call 513-385-6607. Trail dedication in Harrison

An afternoon of music, food and reenactments in downtown Harrison, as well as the dedication of Ohio’s first heritage trail. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. with reenactments starting at 1 p.m. To learn more, call 513-367-9285. Civil War Day in Wilmington

For one day, downtown Wilmington will be transformed into a living Civil War museum, where historians will tell stories and give demonstrations. Reenactments of a Civil War encampment and period dances are also planned. Event runs from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. For more information, contact the Quaker Heritage Center at 937-382-6661. Sunday, July 14

Tour of the 1835 Bank Barn in Evendale

Hosted by Gorman Heritage Farm, the barn was visited by Morgan and his men, who appropriated two horses from there. Historic Farm expert Chris Gordy will explain the construction methods of the “Schweitzer” style structure, typical of German-built barns of that era. The tour runs from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. at the farm, located at 10052 Reading Road, and includes 1860’s-style refreshments. The cost is $5 per adult and $3 for children and seniors. For more information, call 513-563-6663. Trail sign dedication in Blue Ash

The city of Blue Ash and the Blue Ash Historical Society host an afternoon of music, art, light refreshments, pony rides and tours of the Hunt House, along with a dedication of its interpretive sign along the Morgan Heritage Trail. The event runs from noon to 4 p.m. and will be held at the Hunt House, 4364 Hunt Road.

More

ADVERTISEMENT

Chances are, if your family has lived in Harrison for generations, you know a Civil War tale about the day Brigadier Gen. John Hunt Morgan and his Confederate soldiers trudged into Ohio.

Marilyn Bourquein’s great-grandmother, for example, was on a horse and buggy on July 13, 1863, when Morgan and his 2,460 men flooded Harrison.

Plotting to seize food, gear and horses, and rush across the state disrupting Union Army supply routes and diverting Union soldiers, Morgan’s men came upon Bourquein’s great-grandmother, as the story goes. But just as soldiers were about to steal her transport, Bourquein’s great-grandfather – who had caught word of the raid from their farm – rushed to his wife’s side, unhooked the buggy, and told her to whip the horse out of there, sacrificing the cart but keeping the horse, said Bourquein, a lifelong Harrison resident.

It’s no wonder Cincinnatians have passed down vivid stories like this – some true, some exaggerated, says David Mowery, a Civil War historian from Milford whose book, “Morgan’s Great Raid: The Remarkable Expedition from Kentucky to Ohio,” was published in February.

The raid was the only time the Civil War came to Ohio soil, and Morgan challenged the rules of combat in its day, Mowery says.

“Many saw Morgan as a genius,” Mowery says. “Others saw him as a simple horse thief.”

Next weekend, the raid will be commemorated with the dedication of Ohio’s first heritage trail, a 557-mile marked driving course, retracing Morgan’s route through southern and eastern Ohio.

Events serve as reminder of where we’ve been

Mary Lou Smith can’t tell you how many Civil War buffs have come knocking, wanting to know about Harrison’s part in Morgan’s raid.

As president of the Harrison Village Historical Society, Smith happily fills them in, pointing out where Morgan reportedly took a cat nap in the American Hotel and where his men snatched what they pleased from the town’s bakery and supply store – three structures still standing in Harrison today.

Morgan “definitely stood on these floors,” Smith says on a tour of The Parlour, a hair salon and spa that occupies the former supply shop, on the quaint main drag of Harrison Avenue, which Morgan’s men rode into a century and a half ago.

Now, when the curious come knocking, she can point them in the direction Morgan went – on the heritage trail – which includes 56 interpretive signs and more than 600 specialized directional signs weaving through rural areas “where most Ohioans would otherwise never find themselves,” says Mowery, who spent a decade on his book.

“To understand what our past ancestors have gone through gives us the strength and ability to understand it for our future,” Mowery says.

“If you know war came to your hometown, that brings it closer to home.”

Morgan made history, changed rules of warfare

Mowery became intrigued with the Civil War at age 9, when his family began swinging by Civil War battlefields on family vacations to Disney World or the beach.

The computer software engineer became almost obsessed with absorbing every written word about a battle, and then visiting it.

“Most of our battlefields in the United States have been destroyed in modern development,” he said.

“But those that are there – it’s a breath of air to me; to see a field that hasn’t changed in 150 years – it really does bring the event to life again.”

“They were not teaching this stuff at West Point or any of the military schools,” Mowery says of Morgan’s tactics.

Morgan was using his cavalry unit like mounted infantry, Mowery says, putting them on horses and arming them. Cavalry units generally acted as scouts and protection for the flank of the fighting army, but rarely engaged in combat.

Morgan’s men fought on several occasions. He also used counter intelligence in ways never seen in the Civil War, including sending deceiving telegrams to Union headquarters, making them think Morgan had 15,000 men, instead of a little more than 2,000.

Morgan was able to intercept supplies, burn key government buildings and tie up 130,000 Union troops, Mowery says.

By the time Morgan was captured near West Point, Ohio, all but 360 of his men were dead. He and 68 officers were sent to the Ohio Penitentiary, but Morgan broke out and made it back to Confederate territory.

Locals excited to finally unveil Heritage Trail

Bourquein and Smith can’t wait to welcome a couple thousand people to Harrison on July 13 for a reenactment of Morgan’s arrival, as well as reenactments of events that didn’t occur in Harrison but were key to the war, including a skirmish and the surrender between Gen. Robert E. Lee and Gen. Ulysses S. Grant.